A California family has filed a wrongful death claim arising from the loss of their son in a collision involving a tractor-trailer.

In addition to arguing that the driver negligently operated the truck, the surviving parents are contending that the truck itself was negligently maintained. In addition, the parents argue that the driver, with only three months of experience, should not have been assigned to navigate the Santa Cruz Mountain range during peak commuter drive times. In many cases involving large trucks, improper training and improper maintenance may contribute to collisions and resulting injury and death.

These parents have suffered in the past, losing their older son in a rollover accident six years ago. The parents are also asking the trucking industry to adopt rules requiring trucking companies to grade truck routes based on difficulty, and drivers based on skill and experience to make sure the right drivers are assigned to routes within their skill and expeience. Trucking experts admit that it makes no sense to put a barely experienced trucker on a cross country route, but doubt that these standards are realistic.